Howard was a fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft and started the season third on Chicago's depth chart behind Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey. However, injuries thrust him into the spotlight, and he never looked back.

He first broke out against the Detroit Lions in Week 4, when he totaled 111 rushing yards on 23 carries in his first of seven 100-yard games.

Over the final nine games of the season, Howard averaged 106.8 rushing yards per contest while never finishing with fewer than 77 yards on the ground. His production put him in good company, per Larry Mayer of the team's official website:

Larry Mayer @LarryMayer

Jordan Howard joined Walter Payton this year as only #Bears players to rush for 1,300 yards AND average 5.0 ypc. Payton did it once.

The rookie finished the year with 1,611 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns to become the Bears' only Pro Bowler in a lost season for the team.